Senior Programmatic Executive

the7stars; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit share

Private medical insurance (Vitality)

Gym membership

Work from anywhere for up to two weeks

Job summary

the7stars is seeking an ambitious Programmatic Senior Account Executive to join our Activation team. You will own end‑to‑end programmatic campaigns, from planning and setup through activation, optimisation and post‑campaign analysis, across DSPs like DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo, Quantcast and Amazon.

You’ll support Account Managers on larger clients, develop client relationships, and drive autonomy across mid and small accounts, with exposure to digital video, YouTube, OTT and display, while

Qualifications

• Experience in programmatic planning and buying, agency or trading desk.
• Hands-on with multiple DSPs and ad tech.
• Strong numerical and analytical capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Apply and develop programmatic buying strategies across planning, activation, optimisation and reconciliation.
• Manage key client accounts, contributing programmatic expertise to planning and campaigns.
• Own end-to-end programmatic campaigns from planning to reporting.
• Deliver best-in-class programmatic media plans across multiple channels.
• Collaborate with client teams to align plans with objectives and KPIs.
• Present analysis and insights to clients and internal teams.
• Contribute to post-campaign analysis and learnings.
• Develop new ideas and tests for client roadmaps.
• Build relationships with media owners to identify opportunities.
• Stay updated on programmatic and ad tech developments.
• Support junior team members and share knowledge.
• Follow QA processes to ensure accurate implementation.

Skills

Programmatic planning

DV360

The Trade Desk

Campaign optimisation

Client management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Tools

DV360

The Trade Desk

YouTube

Display platforms

Job description

We are looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic Programmatic Senior Account Executive to join one of the fastest-growing teams within the7stars.

The role sits within our evolving Activation team, where programmatic and direct buying have been brought together into one omnichannel team to drive greater collaboration and a more holistic approach to planning and activation.

This is a client-facing role with responsibility across the full programmatic campaign lifecycle – from planning and set‑up through to activation, optimisation, reporting and post-campaign analysis. You’ll work across a variety of DSPs including DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo, Quantcast and Amazon, with exposure to channels including digital OOH, YouTube, Connected TV, audio, video and display.

At Senior Executive level, you’ll support Account Managers across some of the agency’s larger clients, while taking greater ownership across medium and smaller accounts. This provides a clear opportunity to build autonomy, develop client relationships and demonstrate the skills required to progress towards Account Manager.

About the Clients

The role works across a varied portfolio, providing exposure to different sectors, business models and programmatic challenges.

Across the larger‑spending accounts, you’ll support established account teams working on sophisticated, high‑spend campaigns. The portfolio includes a digital‑first recipe box subscription business, a major online retail and department store brand, a leading UK subscription lottery and one of the UK’s largest consumer insurance businesses.

These accounts offer exposure to a broad mix of brand and performance activity, from customer acquisition and e‑commerce through to large‑scale integrated campaigns, audience strategy, online video, CTV, display and digital OOH.

You’ll also take greater ownership across a group of medium and smaller clients, including brands across retail, FMCG, food‑to‑go and direct‑to‑consumer fashion.

These accounts provide more opportunity for autonomy and innovation. Depending on the client, challenges might range from geographically targeted activity and driving store consideration, through to FMCG brand building, e‑commerce acquisition and testing new audiences, formats and channels.

The variety of the portfolio means you won’t simply be repeating the same acquisition model across different clients. You’ll gain experience of direct‑to‑consumer, e‑commerce, retail, FMCG, subscription and integrated brand‑and‑response challenges while developing towards Account Manager‑level ownership.

Responsibilities

• Apply and further develop your knowledge of programmatic buying strategies, supporting best practice across campaign planning, activation, optimisation and reconciliation.
• Support the management of key client accounts, contributing programmatic expertise during the planning process and helping deliver campaigns against client objectives.
• Take end‑to‑end responsibility for programmatic campaigns, from planning and set‑up through to optimisation and reporting.
• Deliver best‑in‑class, market‑leading programmatic media plans across multiple channels.
• Work closely with client teams to ensure plans align with wider business objectives, communications platforms and key KPIs.
• Build confidence and ownership in client relationships, presenting analysis, campaign updates and strategic recommendations both internally and externally.
• Support the delivery of best‑in‑class post‑campaign analysis, identifying actionable insights and recommendations.
• Bring forward new ideas, tests and learning opportunities, contributing to clients’ wider digital testing roadmaps.
• Develop relationships with media owners to identify new‑to‑market opportunities for clients.
• Stay up to date with developments across programmatic, ad tech and the wider digital landscape.
• Support the delivery of audit guarantees and client trading commitments across programmatic accounts.
• Work closely with junior team members, sharing knowledge and supporting their development while continuing to build your own expertise.
• Follow campaign QA processes and maintain strong attention to detail to ensure campaigns are accurately implemented, paced and optimised.

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience within a programmatic planning and/or buying role, either within an agency or trading desk.
• Hands‑on experience using DSPs, ideally including DV360 and The Trade Desk.
• Experience activating campaigns across multiple programmatic channels, including video, YouTube and display.
• Strong understanding of the programmatic and wider ad tech landscape.
• Knowledge and hands‑on experience of relevant technology platforms and integrations.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to turn campaign performance into meaningful insights and recommendations.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• An understanding of the wider media landscape beyond programmatic.
• Ability to anticipate potential issues and proactively develop solutions with measurable outcomes.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with growing confidence presenting directly to clients.
• An ability to understand clients’ wider businesses and commercial challenges rather than looking at campaigns purely through a channel lens.

About You

• You’ll be ambitious, enthusiastic and keen to develop from Senior Executive towards Account Manager level.
• You’ll be comfortable getting hands‑on with campaign activation and optimisation, but equally interested in the bigger picture – understanding why activity is running, how it contributes to the client’s objectives and what could be done differently next time.
• You’ll be a collaborative team player who is friendly, positive and self‑disciplined, with the confidence to take increasing ownership as you develop.
• Progression is about demonstrating greater autonomy rather than simply time served. As you build towards Account Manager, you’ll have opportunities to own more of the client relationship, lead elements of planning and campaign delivery, bring proactive ideas to clients and turn analysis into clear strategic recommendations.
• Curiosity and innovation are particularly important. We want people who will look for new opportunities, challenge established approaches where appropriate and find interesting tests that can make our clients’ work better.

Salary & Benefits

the7stars offers a broad benefits package including:

• Uncounted holiday
• Discretionary performance‑related summer profit share and Christmas bonus
• Personalised training plan and access to coaching
• Flexible pension plan through Royal London
• Optional private medical insurance through Vitality and cashback plan through Medicash
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Work from anywhere for up to two weeks each year
• Paid gym membership with a choice of five gyms
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies
• Personal finance advice and support
• Life Assurance and Critical Illness cover
• Profit share scheme after three years’ service
• Electric Vehicle scheme
• Nursery Partnership
• Tech and Cycle to Work schemes
• Season ticket loans and expensed Railcard
• New Business Bonus eligibility in your first years as a the7stars employee

About the7stars

the7stars is the UK’s largest independent media agency, built around a philosophy of Freedom.

That philosophy runs across people, product and planning. It means teams are encouraged to think independently, challenge convention, develop new ideas and create great work without unnecessary hierarchy or bureaucracy.

The agency has an open structure designed to encourage development through client contact, teamwork, training and exposure to different media channels and internal teams.

the7stars has consistently been recognised as a great place to work, including 13 consecutive years in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work and Campaign’s number one media agency to work for accolade.

The culture is collaborative, entrepreneurial and focused on giving people the freedom and opportunity to develop their careers at pace.

Working Pattern

The role is based in the7stars’ Covent Garden office, with a hybrid working pattern of four days per week in the office.

the7stars is committed to creating a diverse environment, where employees feel empowered to share different ideas, perspectives and experiences in a collaborative and creative work environment.

Equality and inclusion are at the heart of our culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.